Moulded Element, Energy Storage Device, Structural Component and Method for Manufacturing a Moulded Element

This application is a continuation of international application No. PCT/EP2023/082268 filed on Nov. 17, 2023, and claims the benefit of German application No. 10 2022 133 622.0 filed on Dec. 16, 2022, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety and for all purposes.

The present invention relates to the technical field of temperature control, especially the technical field of temperature control of energy storage devices, for example temperature control of electrochemical energy storage devices for the propulsion of motor vehicles.

A very wide variety of proposals have been made for increasing the efficiency and range of fully or partly electrically propelled motor vehicles.

Efforts are being made to the configure the temperature control of electrochemical energy storage devices, especially the cooling thereof, in such a way that it requires as little energy as possible and at the same time does not unnecessarily increase the mass of the motor vehicle. This allows a larger proportion of the energy storable in the energy storage device to be used directly to propel a motor vehicle which is as light as possible. However, there is still a great need for improvement in this regard.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an efficient energy storage device and/or a component therefor in the simplest possible way.

According to the invention this object is achieved by a molded element according to the independent claim relating thereto.

The molded element is a molded element for arranging on a temperature-controllable element. This may especially mean that the molded element is suitable for arranging on a temperature-controllable element.

The temperature-controllable element may especially be any element which in proper use may or must have heat supplied to it or removed from it. The temperature-controllable element may thus be an element to be temperature-controlled, in particular an element to be temperature-controlled during proper use.

The temperature-controllable element may preferably be an energy storage element. The energy storage element may especially be a storage element suitable for storing electrical energy.

The energy storage element may preferably be an electrochemical or electrophysical energy storage cell, for example an electrochemical energy storage cell.

The electrophysical energy storage cell may be a capacitor cell for example.

The electrochemical energy storage cell may advantageously be a battery cell, for example a rechargeable lithium-ion battery cell.

It goes without saying that the molded element for arranging on a temperature-controllable element is simultaneously suitable for arranging on further temperature-controllable elements. The molded element may particularly advantageously be a molded element for arranging on a multiplicity of temperature-controllable elements.

In connection with the invention it was found that the molded element is particularly advantageously employable as a displacer body in an electrochemical energy storage device with immersive cooling. The immersive cooling may be carried out using a temperature-control fluid, especially using a temperature-control liquid, for example using a dielectric oil. It is thus possible to reduce the volume of temperature-control fluid required in a housing of the energy storage device while simultaneously achieving weight optimization.

The invention is based on the further considerations of allowing simple positioning and/or securing of energy storage elements in an energy storage device and allowing simple configuration and adaptation of the position and shape of a temperature-control zone that allows efficient temperature-control of energy storage elements.

It may be particularly advantageous when the molded element is a plastic molded element. The plastic molded element may be composed entirely or partially of plastic. The plastic molded element may preferably be composed of plastic to an extent of at least 50% by weight, advantageously to an extent of at least 60% by weight, especially to an extent of at least 70% by weight, particularly preferably to an extent of at least 80% by weight, for example to an extent of at least 90% by weight. The reported weight fractions refer to the mass of the molded element.

The molded element, for example plastic molded element, may be a molded element, for example plastic molded element, obtainable or obtained by molding, for example by injection molding.

The molded element, for example plastic molded element, may be a molded element, for example plastic molded element, obtained or obtainable by a process according to the invention.

The molded element may preferably comprise:

The molded element may preferably comprise at least two receiving zones for receiving respective sections of at least two temperature-controllable elements in the molded element, for example a multiplicity of receiving zones for receiving respective sections of a multiplicity of temperature-controllable elements in the molded element.

The term “multiplicity” may advantageously refer to a number of at least 10, preferably at least 50, particularly preferably at least 200, for example at least 250.

The term “multiplicity” may advantageously refer to a number of at most 100 000, for example at most 50 000.

Contemplated receiving zones include any depression in a molded element which is large enough to allow a section of a temperature-controllable element to rest in it. In the receiving zone the molded element material may have a cutout in order that a section of a temperature-controllable element can rest in the cutout.

The molded element and especially the receiving zone make it possible to entirely or completely dispense with cell holders or other auxiliary means which are often employed to arrange energy storage elements in energy storage devices.

It may be advantageous when the at least one receiving zone is configured such that a section of the temperature-controllable element receivable in the receiving zone is surrounded by the molded element material, for example surrounded on all sides by the molded element material, when the section is received in the receiving zone.

It may be particularly advantageous when the at least one receiving zone for receiving at least one cylindrical or prismatic section of the temperature-controllable element is formed in the molded element. The cylindrical or prismatic section of the temperature-controllable element may be a cylindrical or prismatic section of an energy storage element, for example of a cylindrical or a prismatic electrochemical energy storage cell.

The molded element material may preferably be a molded element plastic material.

The molded element may advantageously be used for arranging on the temperature-controllable element.

The molded element for arranging on the temperature-controllable element may particularly advantageously be used in such a way that a temperature-control fluid is at least partially displaced by the molded element.

The temperature-control fluid described herein is preferably a temperature-control liquid, especially a dielectric temperature-control liquid, for example a dielectric oil.

The invention makes it possible to achieve a weight optimization. The weight optimization is very pronounced especially when the density of the molded element material is markedly lower than the density of the temperature-control fluid.

The molded element may particularly advantageously be used for partial displacement of a temperature-control fluid in an energy storage device, for example for partial displacement of a temperature-control fluid in an electrochemical energy storage device.

The density of the molded element material may particularly preferably be at most 0.55 g/cm. It may be exceptionally preferable when the density of the molded element material is at most 0.50 g/cm, for example at most 0.45 g/cm.

The density of the molded element material is generally at least 0.003 g/cm, for example at least 0.01 g/cm.

The density of the molded element material may be determined for example by initially removing a portion of the molded element material. The portion of the molded element material that may be removed to determine the density may for example be a cuboid of defined edge lengths. The volume of this portion may be calculated and the mass of this portion determinable by weighing may be divided by the calculated volume.

The molded element may be partially or completely composed of the molded element material.

It may be advantageous when the molded element material occupies at least 50% of the volume of the molded element, preferably at least 70% of the volume of the molded element, for example at least 90% of the volume of the molded element. The molded element material may advantageously occupy for example at least 95% of the volume of the molded element, exceptionally preferably 100% of the volume of the molded element.

The volume of the molded element is delimited by the surface contour of the molded element. The volume of the molded element does not include depressions, for example receiving zones.

The molded element may be a molded element formed from the molded element material.

If the molded element material occupies less than 100% of the volume of the molded element the molded element may advantageously comprise a layer in addition to the molded element material. A layer may for example contribute to preventing penetration of temperature-control liquid into cavities of the molded element material in case the molded element material comprises open cavities accessible to temperature-control fluid.

It is possible for a layer comprised by the molded element to contain an electrically conductive material or to consist of an electrically conductive material. The layer may preferably contain aluminum, for example an aluminum foil. This may be advantageous since this makes it possible for the molded element to additionally achieve an at least partial electromagnetic shielding.

The molded element material may preferably be in a layer composite with the layer.

It may be advantageous when a lowest material thickness of the molded element material is at most 4 mm, especially at most 3 mm, preferably at most 2 mm, particularly preferably at most 1.5 mm, for example at most 1.4 mm. The lowest material thickness may especially be a lowest material thickness that the molded element material comprises between immediately adjacent receiving zones.

It may be particularly advantageous when the density of the molded element material and the lowest material thickness of the molded element material are sufficiently low to achieve a fineness of the molded element calculated by multiplying the density with the lowest material thickness of at most 0.15 g/cm, especially at most 0.12 g/cm, preferably at most 0.10 g/cm, particularly preferably at most 0.08 g/cm, for example at most 0.075 g/cm.

It may be exceptionally advantageous when the fineness is at most 0.06 g/cm, for example at most 0.035 g/cm. Low material thicknesses make it possible to use the molded element to precisely position energy storage elements very close to one another in an energy storage device. A minimum distance between two adjacent energy storage elements may be controlled via a lowest material thickness for example when the lowest material thickness of the molded element is present in a section of the molded element which extends between the energy storage elements.

Observing the described fineness can also ensure that the greatest possible weight saving is achieved.

The density of the molded element material may be sufficiently low, and the molded element material may undergo sufficient narrowing between at least two immediately adjacent receiving zones, to achieve a fineness of at most 0.15 g/cm, especially at most 0.10 g/cm, preferably at most 0.08 g/cm, for example at most 0.075 g/cm. It may be exceptionally advantageous when the fineness thus achieved is at most 0.06 g/cm, for example at most 0.035 g/cm.

The number of the receiving zones comprised by the molded element may be advantageously at least two and the lowest material thickness may be a lowest material thickness measured between two immediately adjacent receiving zones, for example these two receiving zones.

This especially allows the invention to contribute to the achievement of both uniform distances between the energy storage units in an energy storage device and a marked weight optimization at the minimum distance of energy storage units. The exact observance of the distances may especially be important for homogeneous temperature control of the energy storage elements. Undercutting a minimum distance between energy storage elements can have the result that compared to other energy storage elements of an energy storage device these energy storage elements experience poorer temperature control since undercutting a minimum distance between these energy storage elements can cause a temperature-control fluid flow to be largely suppressed, thus favoring unwanted overheating of these energy storage units arranged too close to one another. This can impair the service life of the entire energy storage device and also the operating safety of the energy storage device. The invention can counter this in a particularly simple fashion.

It may be particularly advantageous when the molded element is a flat molded element and the lowest material thickness is measured in a central plane of the flat molded element, wherein the central plane divides the flat molded element into two halves which each occupy a volume of 50% of the volume of the molded element.